AI Governance and Ecosystems
Overview
AI is always in the headlines due to discrimination and disadvantage of marginalized groups. The fact is that AI is just a mirror of our society and shows what is already present in our society and economy so far. For AI to make a critical contribution to fulfilling human rights and helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), companies need governance for AI. The task of this AI governance is to ensure that the development and use of AI in the company follows the company’s goals, respects regulations and does not violate ethical principles. Organizational AI governance is still a young field of research and is still at the very beginning in many companies. However, AI governance is very critical because it sets the framework for future impacts of AI on our economy and society.
In practice, the activities required to develop and implement artificial intelligence system in business areas – from data collection and preparation to model training, continuous monitoring and maintenance – require (new) and versatile (digital) skills and resources that are usually difficult to find in a company or with a single vendor. Companies therefore need to make major organizational changes and/or collaborate with existing and new partners to gain access to the required capabilities and resources.
With our research on AI ecosystems, we try to understand from different perspectives which structures, roles, capabilities and resources are essential for the realization of an AI system in addition to the necessary (technical components) as well as which business models and which challenges and potentials are associated with this form of value creation.
Cooperations
The Chair works closely with the International Doctorate Program: Business and Human Rights at the Centre for Human Rights Erlangen-Nuremberg. AI can negatively impact human rights by discriminating, representing sexist, racist, and classist worldviews, or by ignoring marginalized groups in the first place. However, AI can also have a contribution to fulfilling human rights and achieving the SDGs if these goals are thought about from the beginning. Collaboration with the College includes studies on the governance of AI as well as Feminist AI and exchanges with diverse Stakehodler:in lectures, events, and workshops. The interdisciplinary exchange with international researchers and other stakeholders helps to find a common language and to move together in the same direction.
Projects & Talks
The research project with Siemens Digital Industries – Factory Automation (Siemens DI FA) addresses the adoption, implementation and use as well as the associated challenges and potentials of artificial intelligence for companies in industrial environments. From a business and technical perspective, we focus on the requirements, framework conditions and feasibility of AI-based systems and the associated necessary resources and capabilities for companies, both internally and across companies.